Sanity
by Sasha Shadow
Summary: Human serves the Gaju and tries not to think about things too deeply. One-shot, unwilling contracts are scary. Rating for themes.


Sanity

* * *

Humming a cheerful tune just a little louder than needed Human jotted down the last of his notes. Satisfied with his report he placed the quill down, a familiar jolt of irritation had him fetching it again to clean the tip. If he let the ink dry like that it would take more effort later to prep.

Checking in to make certain none of the noble test subjects had discovered a way to free themselves Human locked up the lab for the night. Voice had an old lullaby playing in the back of his mind. There were clan on duty so he checked with them if the Gaju was back; apparently not.

Disappointed but not surprised Human threw himself into cleaning; not soon enough.

[What is your name?] Voice inquired in an amused tone.

{I'm human} He snapped back at it. This always happened; he started to very deliberately do a poor job of his work.

[I didn't ask what you are, I asked who you are.] The feeling of a sigh in his mind was not one Human had any intention of getting use to. [That's not how you dust.] Voice continued and human felt a surge of 'fix this' run through their body. [You need to lift every item and clean it separately while dusting the space beneath as a whole. No pocking around the edges.] Successfully distracted Voice continued to instruct Human on proper cleaning methods.

It should be a relief to know an effective method of getting Voice in his head to shut up but their emotions favoured Voice. It was Voice's irritation, amusement and resentment that flooded their body on a frequent basis. It took very specific conditions for this to reverse and there was no way to control them.

A clansman approached just as human finished cleaning his bedroom, stifling Voice's slight pleasure at the job well done. Opening the door before they had the chance to knock human stared at the clansman waiting for the summons to be delivered. Clansmen only delivered summons to him they never stayed around to chat.

"Gaju wishes to see you in the sitting room." Oh, good one of the condition's had arrived. It was always pleasant when his emotions reacted to his own perspective.

"I'll be there momentarily." Quickly untying his long hair and donning the thick bracelets Gaju had chosen for him; Human hurried to the sitting room. The clansman's eyes were heavy on his back.

Knocking to announce his entrance human was mildly disappointed the clan heir was not around. Claudia was a nice young lady who would invite him to try the tea he had prepared himself. Still Gaju Tradio was here so Voice would hold his silence.

Quickly kneeling human spoke, "I Human, greet the Clan Leader."

The wise and ancient red eyes regarded him carefully, then the wrinkled face like that of an aged tree smile at him. "Rise and attend your duty. How have you been?"

Standing, remembering to keep his head down, human poured the tea and obediently answered. "I have been healthy but for a few headaches." Placing the cup gently before Gaju, the slap caught him unprepared and knocked him down.

Laying down flat Human hastened to speak. "This unworthy one apologies most profusely, please explain how I error so that I may correct this mistake." The silence was tense and Voice's resentment did not help.

"I asked you to do your duty and tell me how you been," going with it. Human realised, Gaju would know his wellbeing without verbal confirmation.

"I have done a great deal of research into the item you described. It cannot be made or replicated on so little data. The few trials I conducted failed completely." Human remained tense his forehead to the ground but Gaju only sighed.

"It is an item even the most powerful could covert; one year's research cannot be expected to have any firm results." Human started relaxing slightly; he hadn't expected Gaju to understand his lack of results. Human opened his mouth to explain further, throat closing up Human was dazed to realise he couldn't tell Gaju about the other tests he had elected to run.

This feeling...Voice was stopping him just like it stopped him from telling Gaju about Voice's existence. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat human wished for Claudia to be here. When the two of them were present Voice had no impact on him at all.

"You are dismissed."

"Yes, Gaju."

XXX

[What is your name?]

{I'm Human}

[That is not your name] Human sighed; Voice was very insistent on this point. Glaring out the window human was at his limit.

{What's your name then?} A miserable lost feeling flowed into Human and he immediately regretted his question.

[My name is our name and your name. I cannot remember it, what is your name?] The sinking realisation set into Human, he had always thought Voice was Voice before.

What is our name?

Knocking on the door interrupted Human's first progressive conversation with Voice and he hurried to answer. Two of Gaju's most trusted aides were there with what originally appeared to be a new batch of test subjects. Human then recognised the nobles. "Why are these clansmen here?"

"Gaju's orders all criminals go to you. They tried to turn traitor." The aides look slightly doubtful about their own words but what could they do? Gaju was the Law here only the Lord could gainsay him and the Lord didn't have anything to do with the daily running of the clan.

[These nobles were loyal why would they turn traitor? How?]

{I don't know, don't ask} For the first time Voice seemed to heed his words. No words welled from the back of Human's mind as he lead the chained clansme-noble's to the holding room with the others. Normally there was some struggle but these four were quiet and stared at him with pity.

He couldn't meet their eyes.

XXX

The smell of smock broke Human's concentration; none of the experiments he was currently conducting used heat, how?

Glancing around the lab he spotted liquid chemicals burning. Racing to the water store Voice screamed at him to use sand instead, broadcasting feelings that suggested he was more worried about Human's response than the fire itself.

Voice had been unusually co-operative since Human started asking himself what his name was so this was likely good advice; no it was definitely good advice Voice had never misled him before ever, just refused to help. Grabbing the sand buckets Human covered the fire completely. Slowly deprived of air it flickered than died, belatedly Human realised that water would have just spread the liquid chemicals and the fire with it.

His name though had he given it up as a part of his pledge to serve Gaju? The disgust that welled up in their body gave Human a firm answer, no. He didn't even realise he was laughing brokenly so consuming was the disgust.

When his bond with Gaju opened the agony made him freeze (curling up in a pained ball would spill the acid). This wasn't intentional, even Gaju felt discomfort when the bond was open, but it seemed the old tree was too focused on staying alive to keep it closed.

The Gaju was trying to break strong mind control Human realized, an image of betrayed red eyes travelled through the bond and with it came a part of human. The part that Gaju had taken as a symbol of their bond, it felt older than the rest of human's energies.

The colour red and suddenly the bond was broken. Dropped acid avoided as he jumped out of reach Human rushed to the holding cell connected to the lab. He only managed to release one shackle on the clansmen-who-did-no-wrong before the loss knocked him cold.

XXX

He felt sick at the memory of treating the innocent like all the others on the Clan Leaders insistence. Sick and hungry he hadn't eaten well over the past year he spent in the clan. He was in some kind of medical bay, memories and feelings a jumbled wreak if he tried to think of anything but the present.

The present, currently his soul was in agony fuelled by guilt and disgust and his mind was reaching for what had kept him stable before. The door opened and a noble entered, it took a moment to recognise the noble who looked at him with pity, they didn't feel like clan anymore.

The noble placed a tray of food by the bed and gave him a quick assistive glance; at least they tried to make it quick. Their eyes seemed to be caught by his appearance and the reached out as if in a trance before suddenly pulling themself away and hurrying out of the room.

What was that all about?

The next time a noble approached he could feel it before they entered, he couldn't wonder at what that meant thinking in his messed up mind was exhausting and seemed to slow the natural recovery process.

A blond noble entered the pleading call of, "Lord," following echoing in after him. The noble gazed at him squarely for a good long while then sighed.

"I see what the trouble is. Your soul is pained over the previous false contract while your mind seeks the power of it to stabilise itself. No human has ever survived the destruction of a contractor in a false contract before so I had no idea what to expect." Those red eyes narrowed in thought, "The combination is tempting my people to bond with you even the ones who know you don't really want it and with your mind in that state it would qualify as consent."

The blond noble seemed troubled over what he just said even though the other could no process it without troubling his own mind. "Ah," the noble exclaimed, "there is one person with a will strong enough to avoid temptation while you sort yourself out! I will deliver you to him immediately."

And the noble did.

XXX

Frankenstein remembered his name a full week after Tradio died.

It was not pleasant to regain awareness in a building that radiated the energies of the nobles but Frankenstein forced his panic down vague memories of the time he was controlled reminding him that strong distress attracted nobles to humans. Too late he realised as a noble entered appeared in a breath of wind looking worried.

The young looking noble with strait black hair of shoulder length didn't close the distance between them any further. Their gaze met for a brief moment and the noble relaxed slightly while Frankenstein was hit with the strong sensation that he should know those eyes.

"Your mind is steady," the youth's firm and solemn voice announced. Then the noble left just like that. Relived not to be in the same room as the creature even if they were undoubtedly still nearby Frankenstein searched his surroundings.

The room seemed recently refurnished the scent of fresh cut pine coming from the dresser and the bed. There were a few buckets of water, a sponge and spare clothes available; food wasn't. Frankenstein's body was weak for lying in bed for days without eating but he didn't want to call the noble back even if memory suggested they were directed to look after him. Gulping down a few cups of water he started sponging dried sweat off his body. Cleaner and dressed in standard noble attire because the shift they had him sleeping in was filthy he drank again from one of the clean buckets until his stomach was full. Hopefully he had used enough time washing that his body wouldn't reject it.

It would have to do until he could make his way off the island. There was a knock on the door; filled with trabeation Frankenstein answered it. The noble from earlier and another bearing food on a try were there. Frankenstein took the tray when it was thrust at him, that noble scurried off leaving the one from earlier behind.

The food didn't seem poisoned in the Tradio way.

"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel" It took far too long to realise that the noble had given him their name.

"Frankenstein," He wouldn't have responded but he remembered now why those eyes looked familiar. It wasn't because the noble had tended him; it was because those were the eyes filled with betrayal that had ended Tradio's life.

End One Shot

* * *

Ha, it seems I adopted the same plot bunny off Laryna's tumbler that K did. Almost didn't post because of that but she said it was fine; so here you have it.

By the way, I want to do something where Raizel teaches Frankenstein, about what though? I mean intentionally teaching not just letting Franken pick up on it through observation... but what though?


End file.
